Transdisciplinary and Patterns Opportunities

Transformation is a very broad conceptual idea that is easily able to be integrated into other subject areas. As stated before, social studies can be incorporated into transformation by having the students look at the world around them and identify various states of matter. Social studies is essential because children will be able to understand the importance of states of matter and how it helps keep the earth and its living things alive.

Language Arts is perfect for another concept, the water cycle. Many children are not familiar with or do not understand the definition of the terms within the water cycle. Students could familiarize themselves with the terms: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. After, the students could write an acrostic poem from one of the terms. This helps students with writing, poetry, and having a deeper meaning of the water cycle terminology.

To continue, atoms are the perfect concept when dealing with mathematics. Since atoms are surrounding us everywhere but the naked eye is unable to see each individual atom, students could use larger objects to do basic algorithms. For instance, a problem where the student takes five “atoms” (m&ms) and seven “atoms” (m&ms) and the teacher asks how many “atoms” do you have in all? Different algorithms can be more or less complex depending on grade level. This could later progress into the number of atoms in different molecules.

Natural Earth material vs. manufactured Earth material is a concept which is very important to teach children. Children determine our future as well as have a high-stake in the quality of the environment that they will have to live in, and it’s the teacher’s job to educate students on keeping the Earth clean. For drama, students as a class could create a skit that explained the importance of recycling and keeping the earth clean. This skit could be presented to other classes or even as an entire school. As for art, the class could make one large display of recycling and the importance it brings to the earth and the health of the animals and humans. Each student could add their own picture of how to be proactive in recycling and once the display is complete, it could be hung inside the school for all students to see.

As well as other subjects, this unit can also be integrated into meta-patterns. For example, Transformation can be seen in states of matter, the water cycle, atoms, and natural earth materials vs. manufactured materials. Also, spheres are seen in atoms and natural earth materials like rocks. Cycles can be seen in the water cycle and in states of matter. Layers can be seen in gas layers in the solar system. Centers can be seen in the nucleus of an atom. Arrows can be seen in leading the world to keeping it clean. Finally, Time can be seen as time continues the earth and its natural materials are becoming older. These are just a few of the many meta patterns in our unit.

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